Las Vegas police arrest man for allegedly trying to kill, abandon dog he said was sick

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A Spokane, WA man was arrested in Laughlin, NV after he allegedly stabbed his own dog in the head and throat to euthanize it because it was ill, according to authorities.

Wayne Johnson, 76, was arrested and booked for one count of felony willful injury of a dog on Sept. 15.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report alleges a woman found a bleeding dog near Nevada Telephone Cove and Red Hill Road on March 18 at about 11:41 a.m.

She contacted animal control, who took the dog to the vet to find the animal had suffered stab wounds to the top of the head and had her throat cut open twice.

The veterinarian was able to suture the wounds closed and insert a feeding tube into the dog’s throat and found an identification microchip.

It was found that Johnson was the owner. Animal control contacted Johnson who said he did try to kill the dog because she was old and sick with cancer and peeing blood, and begged them to put the dog down.

However, the vet said they could find no diseases with the dog and that it was not peeing blood.

Police found that Johnson was staying at a hotel in Bullhead City and had brought their dog, Kea, with them from Spokane.

Johnson said the dog had been ill and urinating blood and took her hiking to a spot near where she was found and tried to kill her. Thinking he had finished the job, he left.

After being told the dog survived and was stable after surgery, Johnson advised “that it was too bad that they were wasting all that money on a dying dog,” the report states.

He added he would cooperate with police and that he believed he did not commit a crime, police said, before heading back to Washington.

In another conversation, Johnson said that he had left Kea to die at that spot so wild animals would eat her because “it was the circle of life.”

Kea did survive for a few days after the surgery but was eventually euthanized at the Animal Foundation.

A future court date for Johnson has not been set.

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